Fail Safe DVDReview

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Does this live performance succeed or just fail safely?

By Adam DiLeo

The first atomic bombs were devastating and dreadful weapons, but as a limited commodity even the most awesome power is finite in its potential to do harm. Combining such a power with the spirit of competition and a fear of that which appears foreign, however, caused a few terrible weapons to grow to thousands and man has not been safe from himself since. Fail Safe, the 2000 teleplay remake of the similarly named 1964 classic, is a still-potent reminder of just how dangerous a place the world has become in the wake of nuclear proliferation.

Everyone should know the basic story of the Cold War. After World War II, Russia and the United States quickly depleted the camaraderie developed battling the Nazis and the two superpowers began eyeing one another warily across a fragile globe. The tension came to a head during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 when the world sat on the brink of unimaginable destruction. That same year, amid this incredibly heated political climate, Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler authored the brazen, cautionary novel Fail-Safe, which would become a hit movie directed by Sydney Lumet two years later.

The current incarnation of Fail Safe follows a group of American political and military officials who realize that their foolproof computerized encryption system has somehow malfunctioned, as has its redundant backup. While issuing the all-clear signal to the dozens of nuclear-equipped bombers on constant ready alert, a single incorrect signal is broadcast to a group of six bombers and their fighter escorts. These planes, led by Colonel Jack Grady (George Clooney, who was also an executive producer and one of the chief architects of the project), are inadvertently given the green light to unleash their 40 megaton payload on Moscow. Suddenly the elaborate mechanical protections created to eliminate the prospect of human error have now become a prison from which there may be no escape.

Recorded live, the majority of Fail Safe's story had to take place in a small number of areas including only the American Strategic Air Command headquarters, a meeting room in the Pentagon, an underground presidential bunker and the cockpit of the lead bomber at the core of the drama. This might seem like a limiting format, but in reality it's an incredible technical accomplishment. No less than two full sound stages were required to house these detailed sets and the headquarters set alone most likely required at least four cameras running simultaneously. Given the enormous technical demands of such a shoot, it's truly amazing to watch how seamlessly it's all integrated.

As with any live performance, the actors bear the bulk of the anxiety, since any screw-up on their part will be immediately noticeable. To overcome this, theatre actors rehearse extensively in the weeks leading up to a show, whereas film and television actors generally get only one or two run-throughs before the real thing. Given this reality, the majority of the cast members are remarkably polished. Standouts include Richard Dreyfuss as the president, Hank Azaria as a hawkish analyst and Harvey Keitel as the loyal and conscientious General Black. None of these men seem at all phased by the demanding format and, though most of the actors go up on their lines for a moment here or there, these three tend to recover as admirably as any veteran theatrical performer.

The black and white format works not only to highlight the bleak situation and evidence the time period, a technique Clooney would later use to good advantage in Good Night and Good Luck, but also as an homage to the original film. While an interesting exercise might have been to update the wartime technologies to their modern day equivalents, director Stephen Frears and the show's producers smartly leave Walter Bernstein's 1964 screenplay virtually untouched, relying solely on the natural tension of the situation and the ability of their performers.

It's hard to believe, but had this teleplay been conceived even six months later it never would have been produced. The 9/11 attacks would have made studio and network executives reluctant to present so harrowing a proposition for fear that either its subject matter would hit too close to home in a time of mourning, or that its concept of the threat of large-scale nuclear warfare might seem cartoonish, vulgar, or simply na¿ve in the wake of much smaller and infinitely more immediate dangers.

Oddly enough, American and Russia now find themselves again squaring off in a high-stakes game of brinkmanship over missile shield locations in Europe. Though this situation is far from the severity of the 60s, it's certainly a good time to have a fresh look at the lessons learned in that era.

Score: 7 out of 10

Video and Presentation Unfortunately, though it was recorded in a 16:9 widescreen aspect ration, the DVD edition of Fail Safe is presented in the 4:3 format that most viewers would have seen when it aired in the spring of 2000. The result is a pair of black bars at top and bottom on standard format televisions, and a full black frame for widescreen TVs.

Other than the omission of true 16:9 formatting, the transfer is pretty much flawless. It carries the trademark clarity and edge definition of a film shot entirely on video. It's entirely done in black and white, so color saturation can't really be gauged, but the blacks are decently deep and there's no noise in the picture whatsoever.

Score: 4 out of 10

Languages and Audio The DVD edition of Fail Safe comes only in two channel stereo audio with no subtitles or closed captioning. Though there are no added sound options, what's presented is solid. There are occasional moments where a hiss can creep in, but that's most likely a product of a microphone glitch during filming. There are some level issues when groups of people are talking simultaneously, as in the Pentagon war room scene when Azaria and Keitel arouse their colleagues' fervor as they debate the proper first step in dealing with their wayward plane. This is the sort of thing that would ideally be remixed for a DVD release, but is generally forgivable in this context.

Score: 3 out of 10

Extras and Packaging The DVD edition of Fail Safe comes in a black plastic case with a red and black image of a mushroom cloud on the front, bedecked with headshots of the film's myriad stars.

The disc includes no extras aside from the Ocean's 13 teaser trailer that came out about two months before Fail Safe's DVD release date. It would seem that getting the movie on store shelves was the goal here and either its distribution team didn't think it was worth going to the trouble of adding features, or, more likely, there will be another, more fully featured edition down the road, perhaps bundled with the original 1964 version.

Score: 1 out of 10

The Bottom Line Still fresh and loaded with gripping tension, Fail Safe is a story that has stood the test of time and works perfectly as a period piece. It's only a shame that the DVD edition couldn't have included some bonus features for fans of the film.